1960 Vauxhall Victor Series 2

Having been in the care of the current owner for the past seven years (and he in turn bought it from a chap in Norwich who’d also owned it for seven years, which demonstrates a pleasing symmetry if nothing else) this Vauxhall Victor Super is in stunning condition. It’s a genuine, highly-original time-warp car that has been sympathetically refurbished (not restored) over the years, with its owners evidently taking care not to ruin its patina and provenance with ill-considered modifications and repairs.

First registered in Dundee, the vendor has recently been in touch with the car’s first owner, who was delighted to see that ‘his’ car was still on the road and looking every bit as good as it had when he owned it back in the early sixties. Interestingly, the first keeper’s son now has a Vauxhall Victor as a classic too, making us think that he may well have grown up with stories of his father’s old car!

While we cannot verify the mileage as being correct, our research, along with the vendor’s recollections, would suggest that it is accurate.

Keen to maintain as much of the car’s originality as possible, the current owner commissioned his favourite bodyshop to carry out localized repairs to the n/s/f wing, n/s/f/ door, n/s/r/ door, o/s/r and n/s/r wings, and both sills in 2013 after accidently rubbing the Victor along a half-hidden bollard at Beaulieu. At the time the owner says that it still carried its original paint, but don’t cry that this has been lost; whilst it was usable, it had become tired with chips, rubs and the potential to fall off in a strong wind.

The sills, incidentally, were lead loaded by the bodyshop, which is an old-fashioned and expensive technique but one that gives far better and more durable results than the usual gobs of P38. That he went to the expense of having this carried out is illustrative of the care and attention to detail he has invested in the vehicle over the years. We shall see ever more evidence…

As is the fact that he then decided to invest in a full, £3,300 respray in 2016, not because his Vauxhall was getting scabacious and unkempt but because the colour coat was rubbing through in places after decades of being polished. Commitment like this is a beautiful thing to see, and the Victor stands as a testament to his determination to get it looking and running as well as he possibly can.

The bodywork is still immaculate; please see the listing’s comprehensive photo gallery - including shots of the work in progress - to gauge for yourself just how good a job they did then as well as how well it’s standing up now. 

The brightwork is in similarly good condition and gleams with a shine that Vauxhall probably barely managed to achieve back-in-the-day. 

The wheels have been grit blasted and powdercoated recently, too. They still wear their original Americanized chrome wheel trims and are fitted with matching whitewall, Maxxis tyres. Including the spare, obviously…

The car had custom-made carpets and replacement sound-deadening fitted in 2013, at which time the steering wheel was also refurbished and restored. The headlining is immaculate, and the seats, including the original front bench seat, are only very gently patinated and completely free of rips, tears and other damage. It really is astonishing how well they’ve coped with almost sixty years’-worth of buttocks sliding across them.

All door and ignition locks are the originals and they still lock on a single key, a feat that is almost unheard of on a car of this age. This, along with a windscreen that still sports the original factory fitted running-in sticker speaks volumes about the care the car has received over the intervening 58 years.

And it doesn’t end there. A period accessory clock sits on the dashboard and the car still wears a period (non-functioning) radio and ‘space reserved for your automatic lighter’ blanking plug sticker. Oh, and take a look at the ‘next service due at 34,000 miles’ warning sign down in the passenger’s footwell. And the ‘AC filter’ sticker inside the driver’s door shut.

We keep finding these kind of jewels dotted throughout the car; you really have to come and see it for yourself in order to appreciate how astonishingly well-preserved and original it is.

The painted dashboard is patinated and wears its six decades with pride; the new owner could have it refurbished but we think it looks fabulous as it is and would be tempted to emulate the car’s previous owners by leaving it alone.

As you can see from the paperwork in the documents section of the advert, this little Victor has had hundreds and hundreds of pounds spent on it over the past few years, all aimed at eradicating the sort of niggly little problems that most of us would have ignored. As a consequence it’s had its brakes, suspension and drivetrain fettled recently and drives very, very well indeed.

The little 1507cc, four-cylinder petrol engine starts on the button and pulls cleanly throughout its full rev range. It exhales through a stainless steel exhaust. A Dynamator replaces the original dynamo, a well-considered modification that retains the period look of a dynamo while embracing the efficiency and reliability of an alternator. It has been converted to unleaded valve seats.

And look at the photos of inside the engine bay, there is no rust whatsoever on the chassis legs, or anywhere else for that matter. These cars had a fearsome reputation for crumbling away in their day, so how unusual, and pleasing is it to see painted metal, with just a waxoyl jus.

The car comes with original sales brochure and owner’s handbook, and a large number of old invoices and bills, plus a thick sheaf of expired MOT certificates. Also included are several original training and maintenance manuals as well as an original parts catalogue. Please see the documents section of this listing for proof that this car has been refurbished and maintained to the very highest standard.

The online MOT history dates back to 2006 and shows absolutely nothing that would concern us. The MOT itself runs out in June 2019.

I bet you, like us, have never considered buying a Victor. But this car has opened our eyes to the model’s many charms and stirred a longing in us that we didn’t ever think a Vauxhall could; can you imagine the fuss it must have caused when it made its first appearance on Acacia Avenue in 1960? The neighbours must have been frothing with jealousy when they saw this bejeweled slice of Americana pull up outside number 32…

And, even if you doubt the charms of the model as a breed, there’s no denying that this is a truly exceptional example. The care and attention and love that has gone into preserving its authenticity means that our guide price of £6 - 9,000 seems woefully low; if ever a car deserved a five-figure closing bid it’s this one.

Because you’re buying much more than a hunk of metal and plastic and rubber. You’re buying the Victor’s history and the memories it created. You’re buying its provenance and patina and pedigree. You’re buying into Vauxhall’s history and with that comes the responsibility to continue to preserve and to use the Victor. To add to its history.

So, it’s not a car for everyman. It’s a car for a very special enthusiast, whether that person is lifelong supporter of Luton’s finest or simply someone who appreciates carefully curated character in their cars. 

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen here at Patina HQ in Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.